AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Ernie Els has made Masters history -- and not in a good way.
He opened with a 10 on the Par 4 first hole. Els seven-putted -- yes, SEVEN -- from 2 feet.
After his first two shots it was almost literally downhill from there with putts sailing back-and forth past the hole. The frustration continued to mount, including missing a 10-incher with a one-handed flick of the putter during the embarrassing sequence.
His sextuple bogey is the worst score on the first hole at the Masters, beating the old mark by two strokes.
The 46-year-old South African has a pair of runner-up finishes at Augusta National, in 2000 and 2004.
He's won four major titles, including two U.S. Opens.
INCREDIBLE!! @TheBig_Easy suffers a NIGHTMARE at #TheMasters hitting a 10 on a par 4. #GoingForGreen #Golf pic.twitter.com/ef9brhINM5
— FOX Sports Asia (@FOXSportsAsia) April 7, 2016